England overwhelms New Zealand to secure semi-finals spot

England have become the first team to surge into the semi-finals of the ICC Champions Trophy 2017, with their convincing 87-run win over New Zealand at Cardiff on Tuesday (June 6).

A complete performance from the tournament hosts and favorites saw New Zealand all-out on 223 as they attempted to surmount England’s 310, with Joe Root, Alex Hales and Jos Buttler all helping themselves to half-centuries, and Liam Plunkett picking up four wickets.

Black Caps were in contention as long as Kane Williamson, who waged a lone battle with his gritty 87, was at the crease. But once he was accounted by Mark Wood, New Zealand completely lost their way as their last eight wickets fell for just 67 runs inside 14 overs.

While England have already booked their semis spot with 4 points out of 2 games, New Zealand are not yet out of the competition.

Match Summary:

Captains’ Comments:

We weren’t that pleased with the half-way stage, maybe 30 short of par. But it shows with the batting line-up we’ve got, upwards of 300 always leaves you in with a shout. It feels good to be in the semis but we are not satisfied. We want to fulfil our potential.” Eoin Morgan, captain England, said.

“They bat very deep with a lot of power, so restricting them wasn’t a bad effort. In all areas, England outplayed us today. Credit to the way they went about their business, especially with the ball in hand. We were trying to get momentum, and increasing that run-rate to chase down the total. It was a tough job, England used the dimensions of the ground well, the wind was a big factor, and the pitch was a bit two-faced.” Kane Williamson, captain New Zealand, said.